The Baltimore Sun's top 10 Orioles prospects

Baltimore Sun photo by Karl Merton Ferron

Thanks to a rocky start to his professional career, Orioles fans don't have much confidence in Hobgood. The 20-year-old was 3-7 with a 4.40 ERA in 21 starts for Delmarva in 2010 before recently encountering shoulder problems. Still, it's too early to give up on the 2009 first-round pick; he made strides to improve his conditioning before the setback. Hobgood will slide down the prospect list if he doesn't progress in 2011, but his tools keep him in The Sun's Top 10. When he's ready to be assigned to a full-season affiliate, Hobgood will likely return to Delmarva.

Schoop, a second-year player from Curacao, emerged as one of the organization's most intriguing middle-infield prospects last season. Scouts like the 19-year-old's ability to hit for average  he batted .316 in 133 at-bats at Rookie-level Bluefield  but are even more excited about his power potential. If he can develop a power stroke, his stock will continue to rise. He's another player who will be blocked by Machado at shortstop so a move to third base could be in his immediate future.

With spring training starting in a month and a new season on the horizon, The Baltimore Sun's Dean Jones Jr. and Mike Miller put together a list of the top 10 players in the Orioles' minor league system. Jones and Miller ranked players on their career performance through the 2010 season, as well as their potential contributions in the major leagues. They also took other publications' rankings into consideration and included only players who haven't exhausted their rookie eligibility. Over the past three seasons, several highly regarded prospects have been drafted by the Orioles and moved through the organization to the majors. Catcher Matt Wieters (No. 1 in 2009) and left-hander Brian Matusz (No. 5 in 2010) both made appearances in the top five of Baseball America's Top 100 Prospects during that span. Right-hander Jake Arrieta (No. 67 in 2009, No. 99 in 2010) and outfielder Nolan Reimold (No. 91 in 2008) have also spent their entire careers with the organization. The Orioles have acquired right-hander Chris Tillman (No. 22 in 2009), third baseman Josh Bell (No. 37 in 2010) and left-hander Troy Patton (No. 78 in 2008) in separate trades since 2007. Tillman made the biggest impact of the three players over the past three years, but Bell and Patton each made their Orioles debut in 2010. Now, the organization features two players — lefty Zach Britton and shortstop Manny Machado — who are viewed as future stars. Britton, a third-round pick in the 2006 amateur draft, has climbed steadily through the organization and will likely make his major league debut this season. Machado, last year's first-round selection, is still at least a couple of years away from helping the Orioles, but he has drawn comparisons to New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez. The rest of the prospects on the list, for the most part, could fluctuate by a few spots in either direction. All eight are viewed as above-average prospects, but they're not on the same level as Britton or Machado.